Taco Soup

Taco Soup – My family loves taco soup, it’s like having tacos in a bowl!  Taco soup is warm and filling, and cooks of any skill level can make it.  Soups like this leave plenty of room to adjust the level of heat to your personal taste, and it’s family friendly.

Serve a steamy bowl topped off with an assortment of your favorite festive toppings and if you need to whip this up in advance, this soup also freezes extremely well.  I like to cook it on the stove top, then pour it into my slow cooker to keep it warm on game day or for those days my family just wants to graze.

Ingredients you’ll need:
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium poblano pepper, diced
olive oil
salt & black pepper
4 clove garlic, minced
2 1b lean ground beef
1 lime, juiced
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 Tbsp taco seasoning [i.e. McCormick’s, add more or less to your taste]
1 tsp Mexican oregano
2 [15] oz can fire roasted chili-style tomatoes [see Cook’s note]
2 [15] oz can pinto beans
1 [15] oz can black beans, rinsed
1 [12] oz frozen Southwestern corn
3 cup low sodium beef broth [more if needed, to your preference]
1 [10] oz tomato sauce
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Assorted toppings: shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream, sliced black olives, pickled jalapenos, tortilla chips

Directions: 
In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, over medium-high heat, saute the diced onion, red bell pepper and poblano pepper in a few drizzles of olive oil.  Season with salt and black pepper to your taste. Cook until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown then add the minced garlic.  Cook for 1 minute.

Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains.  Drain any excess fat from the pot.  Add the juice of 1 lime and 3 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce.  Stir well. Add the seasonings and the remaining ingredients reserving the cilantro to add at the end of cooking.  Adjust the taco seasoning, salt and black pepper to your taste. [tip: If you prefer a thinner soup, add more beef broth.  Likewise, for a thicker soup, add less]

Simmer covered for 40-45 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.  Stir in the chopped cilantro just before serving.  Serve topped with shredded Monterey-Jack or sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced black olives, pickled jalapenos, chopped cilantro and tortilla chips.  Yield: approximately 16 [1] cup servings

Cook’s note:
The tomatoes that I use are seasoned with chopped green chilies.  If you are unable to find that type in your grocery store, you may use 2 [15] oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes and 1 [4] oz can of diced green chilies instead.

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Taco Soup

Servings 16 [1] cup

Author Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet onion diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper diced
• 1 medium poblano pepper diced
• olive oil
• salt & black pepper
• 4 clove garlic minced
• 2 1 b lean ground beef
• 1 lime juiced
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 Tbsp taco seasoning [i.e. McCormick's add more or less to your taste]
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 2 [15] oz can fire roasted chili-style tomatoes [see Cook's note]
• 2 [15] oz can pinto beans
• 1 [15] oz can black beans rinsed
• 1 [12] oz frozen Southwestern corn
• 3 cup low sodium beef broth [more if needed to your preference]
• 1 [10] oz tomato sauce
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• Assorted toppings: shredded cheese cilantro, sour cream, sliced black olives, pickled jalapenos, tortilla chips

Instructions

1. In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, over medium-high heat, saute the diced onion, red bell pepper and poblano pepper in a few drizzles of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to your taste. Cook until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown then add the minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat from the pot.
3. Add the juice of 1 lime and 3 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce. Stir well. Add the seasonings and the remaining ingredients reserving the cilantro to add at the end of cooking.
4. Adjust the taco seasoning, salt and black pepper to your taste. [If you prefer a thinner soup, add more beef broth. Likewise, for a thicker soup, add less]
5. Simmer covered for 40-45 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in the chopped cilantro just before serving.
7. Serve topped with shredded Monterey-Jack or sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced black olives, pickled jalapenos, chopped cilantro and tortilla chips.